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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

DH registering birth with his surname

28 replies

ironic · 23/02/2018 07:49

Anyone know if my DH can register our baby’s birth with a different surname (his own) to the one on hospital birth/discharge letter?
The situation is that DS was born very prematurely 200 miles from home (lesson to always cart your maternity notes around with you).
We’ve now finally made it home but couldn’t get appointment to register the birth before we left.
I really don’t want to have to travel back there with the tiny, still premature baby to register the birth. But we can’t work out if DH can go alone.
DS is called simply Baby Ironic on his hospital papers but we want to name him X Y DHsurname.
The registry office receptionist was very unhelpful when I called to ask what to do... can anyone help us avoid a wasted 400 mile round trip?!

OP posts:

RollTopBath · 23/02/2018 07:50

My understanding is that he can.

CannotEvenThink · 23/02/2018 07:51

He should be able to yes, you are married so he can register the birth without you there. If he takes your marriage certificate there shouldn't be a problem.

Xennialish · 23/02/2018 07:52

Are you married? As long as you are I think he can register baby whatever he likes. I have never been to any of ours.

Original poster

ironic · 23/02/2018 07:54

Thank you for quick responses! Yes we are married but I haven’t changed my name, hence the different surname on hospital papers.

OP posts:

Whitelisbon · 23/02/2018 07:54

As long as you are married then yes he can.
However, you can register baby at your local registry office too - Its not quite as straightforward but probably substantially easier than a 400 mile journey!

joleigh332 · 23/02/2018 08:01

How long is baby likely to be in hospital? My little one was born late prem so was only in hospital for 3 weeks and we just waited to register until then, you have 6 weeks to register so if its likely to be less than that could you just wait until you get home/transferred closer to home?

Calmingvibrations · 23/02/2018 08:01

Pretty sure yes you can. Our DS had my surname on all the info at the hospital / red book. It took us three weeks to decide on the name (I know, ridiculous!) which was different to the above. If you are married then father can register on his own without you, if your not married you both have to be there.

Sounds like you’ve had a rough ride if it giving birth miles away and early. I hope you and baby are doing well. X

SocksRock · 23/02/2018 08:01

You can do it locally. You won’t be able to walk out with the certificate, you’ll get it in the post a while later.

Original poster

ironic · 23/02/2018 08:02

However, you can register baby at your local registry office too

OP posts:

joleigh332 · 23/02/2018 08:03

Oh another thing I have just remembered, DC1 was born out of our local registry catchment and would mean making a 30 min trip to another registry office but we were able to do it via the local one and have it verified or sent to the other office. Took slightly longer and certs were sent rather than recieved on the day.

Original poster

ironic · 23/02/2018 08:03

Oops posted too soon - meant to say amazing, I didn’t realise this. Thanks so much

OP posts:

Merryhobnobs · 23/02/2018 08:04

If you are married then it is fine - he should probably take your marriage certificate just as proof. We weren't married until after our dd was born. Because of that I had to register her. It was fine to register her with his name but I had to be there. It was one of the reasons we got married just before she was 1. I wanted him to have full rights over his child as soon as the child was born which he wouldn't have had unless we were married. I am in Scotland though.

travelmad · 23/02/2018 08:05

My second DS was born 200 miles away from home too, I registered him at home and they sent everything to the local register office where I had him. I got his birth certificate in the post within a week or two.

timeisnotaline · 23/02/2018 08:06

We did, we needed to register Baby very quickly and I wasn’t up to going so Dh went on his own. Married, different surnames. I might have had to pre sign something , I don’t remember.

NapQueen · 23/02/2018 08:08

It isnt Bethlehem love, you can just go to your local office.

DenPerry · 23/02/2018 08:08

My baby was born in a different area, we just had to ring the town hall he was born near and they sent the details to the one near us, and we got an appointment. This was a year ago

joleigh332 · 23/02/2018 08:08

Merry unless your child was born before 2006, your DH would have parental responsibility if on the birth cert, married or unmarried.

mrsfuzzyboots · 23/02/2018 08:10

DD was born in a different borough and was registered in our nearest registers office. The only difference is that rather than getting the birth certificate then and there, they arrived in the post from the area of birth a few days later. DH will also be fine (I didn’t go to register DD) to go solo, just have him take your marriage certificate. And congratulations!

littlemissminor · 23/02/2018 08:13

You can do it at your local registry office!

We did it with DD and she was also born early in a city 200 miles away from home!

When you book (we booked online), there are different options, you put that they were born out of the area and they book you an appointment to make a declaration.... you go to your local office and they take all the details/fill out all the forms, and send it to the office closest to where your child was born - who then issue the birth certificate in the post. That is the only difference; you have to wait for the certificate rather that getting it straight away.

Also, you usually have to pay a charge in cash or a postage thing (I can’t remember the name ), but they will tell you when you book!

ElenaBothari · 23/02/2018 08:14

All our hospital papers had my surname on, and DH registered the baby with his surname no problem at all.

ExhaustedAndHormonal · 23/02/2018 08:24

Hospital always put mum's name on papers so easy to match baby with mum, that's what I was told.

Beetlejizz · 23/02/2018 08:27

If you're married either of you can register the birth. In any surname you want, doesn't matter if it's one of yours or not. What it says on the hospital notes doesn't make any legal difference, you're not bound by that.

KadabrasSpoon · 23/02/2018 08:29

When we had DS prematurly was told we had to register his birth in the area he was born not the one we lived in. I don't think you need to travel. Your DH can do it alone because you are married.

KadabrasSpoon · 23/02/2018 08:31

www.gov.uk/register-birth

eurochick · 23/02/2018 08:32

We did this. It didn't occur to us there would be an issue. In hospital she was Baby Myname. My husband registered her without me being there as firstname Hisname-Myname. He did go to where she was born to do it, but that was only across London so not a big problem.

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